The present invention relates to medical pumps for the delivery of medicines to patients and in particular to an anti-free-flow valve integrated to a tubing kit and limiting accidental release of medicine prior to the tubing kit being installed in the medical pump or as it is being removed from the pump.
Medical pumps, such as syringe pumps or peristaltic infusion pumps, are known for computer-controlled delivery of medication or contrast agents (henceforth drugs) to patients over a period of time. Typically, the drug is provided in a syringe or a flexible bag that may be connected to a fluid line attached to a needle for insertion into the patient.
When a nurse or other health care professional ministering to the patient receives the drug, for example, in a flexible bag, the fluid line must be attached, typically by inserting a fluid line spike attached to one end of the flexible tubing into the bag. During a priming process, fluid from the bag is allowed to flow through the fluid line to purge bubbles from the fluid line and then the fluid line is installed in the pump typically by threading the fluid line through compressive fingers of a peristaltic pump. During the first steps of priming the fluid line, it is important that any clamps on the fluid line be open. After a purging of air from the line, the clamps are closed to prevent leakage until the fluid line is loaded into the pump. Immediately before loading of the fluid line into the pump, however, the clamps that were closed must be opened again so that the pump may operate without obstruction. When the fluid line is taken out of the pump at any point, it is important to ensure the line is closed and there is no uncontrolled fluid freely flowing to patient body. However, the caregiver may forget to close clamp manually. In some situations, such mistake has serious consequences. A valve that automatically closes when the fluid line is released from the pump can avoid such undesired situations and could save lives in critical scenarios.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,469,933 entitled “Pump Activated Pinch Valve”, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a valve for a fluid line that may be closed about the fluid line after priming of the fluid line and bag to prevent fluid leakage and then installed in the pump in a closed state. When the door of the medical pump is closed, the clamp automatically opens. In this way preparation of the fluid line and installing it to the pump is greatly simplified with reduced risk of leakage while also preventing unintended blockage of the flow of medicine. The clamp provides a single piece plastic element having a natural resilience tending to move it to an open position. The clamp element is compressed against this resilience to close the fluid line and held in that close position by a catch. The catch is automatically released by an element on the pump door once the clamp element is installed on the pump and the door is closed.